Kirkcudbrightshire family history information

See below for a list of records relating to Kirkcudbrightshire ancestry.

Kirkcudbrightshire (or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright) was historically a county of south-western Scotland, also known as East Galloway which, with Wigtownshire, formed the larger Galloway region. The county is still called "The Stewartry" by its inhabitants and forms the Stewartry area of Dumfries and Galloway Council. Pigot's Directory of 1825 describes it as follows:

"This county, or as it is commonly called, Stewartry, forms the eastern and by far the most extensive portion of Galloway. ... It is bounded on the north-east and east by Dumfries-shire; on the south by the Solway Firth and the Irish Sea; on the west by Wigtonshire, and on the north-west by the county of Ayr; its surface contains 821 square miles of land ...

"The aspect of the country, however, forms a very natural distinction into two divisons: if a line be drawn from the centre of Kirkpatrick-Iron-Gray parish to the Gatehouse of Fleet, all to the northwest, with little exception, is so mountainous, that it may very properly be termed a highland district; while the south and east exhibt a fine champaign and cultivated country. Like other mountainous countries, this is intersected by numerous streams, which, uniting, form four considerable rivers; the Cree on the west; the Fleet; the Dee ... and the Orr, or Urr. These rivers ... abound with salmon, and are ornamented with numerous handsome seats. Of late years agriculture has been much improved; the lands have been subdivided and enclosed; and new roads have been formed. Kirkudbrightshire contains two royal burghs, Kirkcudbright and New Galloway; the former joins in parliamentary representation with Dumfries, Annan, Sanquhar and Lochmaben, the latter with Stranraer, Wigtown and Whithorn; the stewartry also sends a member to parliament."

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